Feed-regulating mechanism for liquids.



Patented May 6, I902.

' D. T. SHARPLES.

FEED REGULATING MECHANISM FOR LIQUIDS.

{Application filed Aug. 6, 1901.]

(No Model.)

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DAVID TOW'NSEND SHARPLES, OF VVESTCHESTER, PENNSYLVANIA.

FEED-REGULATING MECHANISM FOR LIQUIDS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 699,249, dated May 6, 1902.

' Application filed August 6, 1901. $erial No. 71,045, (No model.)

To all whom' it may concern.-

Be it known that I, DAVID TOWNSEND SHARPLES, a citizen of the United States of America, and, a resident of Westchester, in

the county of Chester and State of Pennsyllet and another limited portion will be indi rectly delivered thereto and intermediately utilized to automaticallyvary the size of the direct outlet, so that the two portions jointly will furnish a uniform discharge under varying conditions.

The invention is fully described in connection with the accompanying drawing and the novel features are particularly pointed out in the claims.

The drawing is a sectional elevation of an apparatus embodyingthe essential features of my invention in simple form.

A represents what may be termed the faucet-body, which, as shown, is provided with a hollow stem at, adapted to be connected to a source of liquid-supply, as tank B, (partially indicated in dotted lines,) and to serve as a passageway, which may be controlled by a stop-cock b, into a chamber 0. This chamber 0 is provided with a dischargeoutlet into a vertical. tube 01, forming a discharge-nozzle, which may be fitted, if desired, with a regulating-cock, (not shown,) and it is also provided with an overflow outlet or outlets leading into an overflow-chamber E above it. This overflow-outlet is preferably formed by a circular opening e, arranged in line with the discharge-outlet tube (1 and adapted to serve also as a loose guideway for the depending tubular neck f of a float-cup F, located in the overflow-chamber E. This float may be of any desired form, having an opening or openings in the top portion thereof to permit inflow of liquid from the overflow-chamber E, as hereinafter described, and its tubular neck, which rises and falls with the float-cup, is adapted when in normal position to seat around the discharge -outlet from the discharge-chamber 0, so as to out off the direct flow from said chamber through the discharge-nozzle; but the opening 6 being somewhat larger in diameter than the tubular neck f passing therethrough provides a re stricted annular overflow-outlet from the chamber 0 into the overflow-chamber E. The tubular neck f when unduly raised from its seat also serves as an overflow-outlet from the chamber 0 into the float-cup F, as hereinafter described. V i

The operation of the mechanism is as follows: When the stop I) is opened, the liquid flows into the chamber 0. Being cut ofi from the discharge-tube d by the lowered float-cup neck f it rises through the overflow-outlet 'e into the overflow-chamber E and; gradually -fills the latter until the empty float-cup F rises and opens the discharge-outlet, so as to permit a direct discharge into the tube 01. When the float-cup F is raised by the overflow into chamber E, so far as to admit a greater supply of liquid between the base of its tubular neck and the outlet at than'the latter is able to discharge, the surplus will overflow direct into the tubular neck and upward into the float-cup itself until the latter is so weighted by this overflow surplus as to lower it and thereby automatically reduce the valve-opening and the inflow from the chamber c to the outlet d. Thus the restricted overflow through outlet einto the chamber E tends to raise the float-cup F and open the valve formed by its tubular neck, while the surplus overflow through the latter into the float-cup tends to lower the latter until this surplus is stopped. The constant overflow into chamber E constantly tends to raise the float-cup and valve higher than is necessary to fully supply the discharge-outletd, thus providing a surplus which overflows into the float-cup and holds the latter downnotwithstanding the constant overflow into chamber E tending to raise the liquid-level in the lat ter, which level, however, is controlled by the communication provided through the openings g with the float-cup, through which the overflow from the opening e is thus indirectly delivered to the discharge-outlet (I, together f. In practice the flow capacity through the with just a sufficient amount supplied directly to the latter by the proper automatic opening of the float-valve. Supposing, for instance, that the liquid in tank B is suddenly increased to twice the height, the eifect of the increased head would be to somewhat increase the overflow at e andgto cause a rapid surplus overflow through the tubular neck f into the float F, the outlet (1 being unable to discharge it. The immediate result would be that the float F would sink and cut ofl": the valve opening to d, the overflow into chamber E at the same time causing a top flow into the float F. The supply to the discharge-outlet d is thus made up of the overflow through e plus the supplementary amount needed to fill said outlet d and which is admitted directly from the chamber 0 through the automatically-adjusted' opening of the float-valve formed by the neck stem a should always be somewhat greater than the discharge capacityof the nozzle, so as to provide an overflow at all times through the outlet e, while the surplus overflow through f to the float would be a temporary one, quickly effecting a corresponding reduction of the valve-opening. The outlet or outlets e are of proper size to restrict the overflow therethrough, preventing possible overfilling of the chamber E and requiring always a partial raising of the float to fully supply the nozzle.

The particular construction shown and described may obviously be considerably modified without departing from the spirit of my invention.

\Vhat I claim is 1. A feed-regulating mechanism for liquids comprising a chamberhaving a supply-inlet a discharge-outlet pipe and an overflow-outlet, and a movable device operated by the overflow from said chamber to vary the com in unication between the chamber and the discharge-outletand serving to conduct the overflow indirectly to the latter.

2. A feed-regulating mechanism for liquids comprising a chamber having a supply-inlet a discharge-outlet pipe and a direct-overflow outlet of less capacity than said dischargeoutlet, and a movable conductor for said direct-overflow liquid to said discharge-outlet forming an automatically operated valve adapted to regulate direct communication between the latter and said chamber.

3. In a feed-regulating mechanism for liquids having a main chamber with a supplyinlet, a discharge-outlet, and an overflow-outlet, and overflow-receiving chamber and a float-cup in said overflow-chamber arranged to automatically regulate direct communication between said discharge-outlet and the main chamber.

4. In a feed-regulating mechanism for liquids having a main chamber with a supplyinlet, a dischargeoutlet, and an overflowoutlet, an overflow-receiving chamber and a float-cup in said overflow-chamber communicating with said discharge-outlet and ar ranged to automatically regulate the direct discharge from said main chamber.

5. In a feed-regulating mechanism for 1iq-' uids having a main chamber with a supplyinlet, a discharge-outlet, and an overflow-out let, an overflow-receiving chamber and a float-cup in said overflow-chamber having a tubular depending neck entering said chamber and adapted to seat upon said dischargeoutlet to cut off the latter from direct communication with the main chamber.

6. In a feed-regulating mechanism forliq-' uids having a main chamber with a supply inlet, a discharge-outlet, and an overflow-on tlet, an overflow-receiving chamber and a float-cup in said overflow-chamber having a tubular depending neck passing loosely through said overflow-outlet into the main chamber and adapted to seat upon said discharge-outlet to cut off the latter from direct communication with the main chamber.

Signed at Westchester, Pennsylvania, this 26th day of July, 1901.

DAVID TOWNSEND Sll ARILES.

' Witnesses:

W. G. STEWART, D. M. STEWART. 

